Savannah Fire & Emergency Services

Savannah Fire & Emergency Services 2015 Annual Report

121 East Oglethorpe Avenue Savannah Georgia 31401 (912) 651-6754

VISION STATEMENT “….committed to those we serve” We are committed to serving our community with the utmost levels of professionalism and efficiency in relation to the preservation of life About the Department: and property

Savannah Fire and Emergency Services (SFES) is steeped in history that dates to the city's first organized fire company in 1759. 152 years later ORGANIZATIONAL PRINCIPLES it became the first fully-mechanized fire department in the U.S. Savan- Professionalism nah Fire is a progressive, future-focused organization comprised of 326 professional, fully-trained, career firefighters. SFES operates 15 fire Accountability stations that are strategically located throughout the City of Savannah Service Excellence to ensure a quick response to the needs of citizens and visitors. Includ- ed in this report are the following sections: Diversity Customer & Employee Satisfaction  Operations  Training Leadership  Facilities Teamwork  Fleet  Investigations Safety  Fire Marshal Loyalty  Emergency Management  Public Education and Information Trust Effective Communication

Greetings from the Fire Chiefs Office

Charles G. Middleton Fire Chief

Thank you for reading the Savannah Fire & Emergency Services (SFES) 2015 Annual Report. We are a professional career Fire Department, comprised of 326 uniformed firefighters and 18 administrative/support staff.

We serve a population of 137,000 people, with a service area of 103 square miles. Compo- nents of area service area include Urban, Suburban, Rural, & Industrial firefighting.

Services are delivered from 15 Fire Stations. Service Response Units are: 15 Engine Compa- nies, 5 Ladder Companies, 2 Heavy Rescue Companies, 1 Fireboat, & assorted support marine vessels and equipment, located strategically throughout the City.

In addition to structural firefighting, we also are the primary provider of Hazardous Materials (HazMat) and Technical Rescue Services; Industrial, Marine & Shipboard Firefighting.

This report will list the activities of the 3 major Departments within SFES, Operations, Logistics, and Emergency Management. This report details the work of the Divisions contained within each Department, to include our Public Education activities.

OPERATIONS

The goal of Savannah Fire & Emergency Services Operations Department is to support the Community Risk Reduction initiative. To support this initiative, the Operations Department utilizes 15 Fire Stations, 23 Companies and 326 personnel that are strategically placed throughout the city in relation to the city’s risk assessment. By constantly monitoring our response efforts through data collection, the Operations Department is able to effectively and efficiently respond to a wide spectrum of natural and manmade incidents. The results of our efforts have led to receiving the highest Insurance Services Office rating, ISO Class -1. All this ensures that we stay true to our mission, “….committed to those we serve”. OPERATIONS / RESPONSE

The Operations Division responded to 7, 204 incidents in 2015. These incidents are broken down into four categories: Fires, Emergency Medical Responses, Hazardous Materials and Tech- nical Rescues. The diversity and capabilities of our responses demonstrates why SFES is a ISO Class –1 Department.

2015 Total Call Volume by Type: 7,204 Incidents OPERATIONS / RESPONSE OPERATIONS / RESPONSE OPERATIONS / RESPONSE OPERATIONS / RESPONSE OPERATIONS / RESPONSE

Pre-Fire Plans SFES personnel conducted over 800 Pre-Fire Plans within our response area. These Pre-Fire Plans are vital for our goal of Community Risk Reduction however; these plans also identify potential hazards for responding firefighters. In addition to risk reduction and safety, these Pre -Fire Plans assisted with the development of the Standards of Cover which produced a citywide Risk Assessment map (see below). To complete such important tasks, SFES personnel utilized approximately 3,000 staff hours in 2015.

LOGISTICS

The Logistics Department is comprised of the following Divisions: Building Construction and Maintenance, Fleet Management, Service Support, Budget & Purchase, Human Resource Ad- ministration, Fire Prevention, Arson Investigation, and Training. LOGISTICS / TRAINING

Training Division

The Training Division of SFES is composed of one Training Division Chief and three Fire Captains, who assist in the management of training and recruitment for the bureau. The training program includes the following areas: Executive Management Level Training, Fire Officer Development, Fire Operations Training, Hazardous Material, Technical Rescue Training, and New Fire Recruit Training. The training division is also responsible for the recruitment and testing of applicants who seek a career within SFES. LOGISTICS / TRAINING

Each year the Training Division is responsible to provide the necessary training requirements outlined by Georgia Standards and Training Council and the Insurance Services Office. Annual- ly, each operational firefighter is required to complete a training program that is rank depend- ent (see matrix below). Additionally, job specific training and specialized training such as Haz- ardous Materials, Technical Rescue and Marine training will increase these program hours above 400 hours of annual training. Recruit Training (14 weeks) National Professional Qualifications Firefighter I National Professional Qualifications Firefighter II National Professional Qualifications Hazardous Materials Awareness National Professional Qualifications Hazardous Materials Operations Emergency Medical Responder w/ CPR and AED Emergency Vehicle Operations Course Incident Command System Training levels 100, 200 and 700 20 Recruits in 2015 Total Staff Training Hours for Recruits= 20 x 560= 11,200 LOGISTICS / TRAINING

Firefighter/ Advanced Firefighter National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001 Firefighter I and II: 200 hours NFPA 1002 Apparatus Operator: 12 hours (Driver Certified) NFPA 472 Hazardous Materials: 10 hours Training Facility Use: 18 hours Emergency Medical Responder: 4 hours 160 Firefighters/ Advanced Firefighters

Total Staff Training Hours for Firefighters= 244 x 160= 39,040

Master Firefighter National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001 Firefighter I and II: 200 hours NFPA 1002 Apparatus Operator: 12 hours NFPA 1021 Company Officer: 12 Hours NFPA 472 Hazardous Materials: 10 hours Training Facility Use: 18 hours Emergency Medical Responder: 4 hours 82 Master Firefighters

Total Staff Training Hours for Master Firefighters= 256 x 82= 20,992 LOGISTICS / TRAINING

Fire Captain National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001 Firefighter I and II: 200 hours NFPA 1021 Company Officer: 12 Hours NFPA 472 Hazardous Materials: 10 hours Training Facility Use: 18 hours Emergency Medical Responder: 4 hours 70 Fire Captains

Total Staff Training Hours for Fire Captains= 244 x 70= 17,080

Battalion Chiefs National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1021 Chief Officer: 40 hours 11 Battalion Chiefs

Total Staff Training Hours= 40 x 11= 440 LOGISTICS / TRAINING

Fire Marshals and Investigators 24 hours of continual training in their professional subject matter. 5 Fire Marshals 2 Fire Investigators

Total Staff Training Hours for Fire Marshals and Investigators= 24 x 7= 168 LOGISTICS / TRAINING

Training Course Participation for 2015 LOGISTICS / TRAINING LOGISTICS / TRAINING LOGISTICS / TRAINING LOGISTICS / TRAINING

Total Staff Receiving Training in 2015: 327 Personnel Total Staff Training Hours for 2015: 88,920 Training Hours LOGISTICS / TRAINING

Recruitment

Recruitment Events  14 events  5hrs per event  2 recruiters per event  1082 contacts for 2105  Recruitment Staff hours= 14x 5x 2= 140 Staff hours

Recruitment Contacts  270 candidates assigned to 18 recruiters  18 Recruiters Contact Interested Candidates twice a month (4 hours per month)  Contact Hours= 18 Recruiters x 4 hours per month x 12 months= 864  Written Testing 491candidates x 2 hrs x 2 recruiters = 1964 Contact Hours  CPAT Testing 214 candidates x 1 hrs x 15 CPAT Proctors = 3310 Staff Hours  Interviews 115 candidates x 1 hrs x 10 Interview Panelists = 1150

Total Recruit Contact Hours= 7,428 LOGISTICS / FACILITIES

Building Construction

The construction coordinator works closely with the City’s Development Services Divi- sion, providing direct Bureau involvement with pre-construction and construction phases of new projects. This includes plan development, bid process, review, and site visits. In 2015 this scope included over 800 staff hours for the Completion of Fire Sta- tion 12, and pre-construction for the SFES’ Training Facility , and both the Sweetwater Fire Station, and the Hutchinson Island Public Safety Station. LOGISTICS / FACILITIES LOGISTICS / FACILITIES

Facility Maintenance Savannah Fire maintains 17 facilities. The Construction Coordinator works directly with con- tractors to perform work outside the City’s maintenance department’s scope. In 2015, facility maintenance and improvements in the areas of inspection, coordination, site visits, and pro- ject completion involved over 1200 Staff hours. LOGISTICS / FACILTIES LOGISTICS / FLEET

Fleet Management The Fleet Division works with the City’s Vehicle Maintenance shop to maintain SFES’s Fleet. This working relationship includes preventative maintenance, repairs, and refurbishment to our vehicles and apparatus. Moreover the fleet division oversees annual testing of apparatus pumps, ladders, and Self Contained Breathing Apparatus program. Apparatus Specifications In 2015 the SFES Fleet division, completed specifications for 5 new apparatus. Each one of these new vehicles will replace old units within the Fleet. These new apparatus will include the latest technology, and new national vehicle safety standards as well as the new- est tools and equipment available to the Fire Service. LOGISTICS / FLEET

Apparatus Checks, Inspections, and Testing

SFES utilizes a Records Management System (RMS) to record activities required to maintain accountability and readiness for vehicles, equipment, and personnel. In 2015 vehicle maintenance completed 1,141 vehicle repairs, with SFES personnel committing 21,940 Staff hours to complete daily apparatus checks, inventory and equipment inspections, and Fire pump and ladder testing to maintain readiness. LOGISTICS / SCBA

Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Program

This program supports our efforts to maintain safe air while working in hostile working environments. Currently there are 12 trained certified SCBA technicians to service and repair this critical lifesaving equipment. In 2015 SCBA personnel committed 6,114 staff hours to maintain the SCBAs including daily checks, inventory and equipment inspections, and required annual fitting and flow testing. LOGISTICS / FIRE INVESTIGATIONS

Investigations Division The Savannah Fire & Emergency Services Investigations Division consists of three functions operating under the investigations division umbrella. These functions are Fire Investigation, Professional Standards, and Background Investigations. The Investigations Division is also a recognized law enforcement agency by Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST). The investigations division operates and maintains a Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) terminal. LOGISTICS / FIRE INVESTIGATIONS

The Savannah Fire & Emergency Services Fire Investigations Unit conducts investigations into the cause and origin of fires that occur within the incorporated boundaries of the city. The Fire Investigations Unit is responsible for making a determination if a fire was the result of an accident, a natural occurrence, whether the cause is undetermined or if the fire was incendiary and therefore a criminal investigation. In the event a criminal investigation is opened the Fire Investigations Unit becomes the primary law enforcement agency responsible for follow- up on the incident.

Undetermined fire within a vacant residence Incendiary fire at a vehicle repair yard

Undetermined fire within the garage of residence Accidental fire from electrical equipment failure

Incendiary fire of vehicle in front of residence Accidental fire from electrical equipment failure in the utility room LOGISTICS / FIRE INVESTIGATIONS

In Calendar Year 2015 the Investigations Division recorded 90 cases for follow-up. The amount of time each investigator is averaging as part of case follow-up is 7.9 hours per case. LOGISTICS / FIRE INVESTIGATIONS LOGISTICS / FIRE INVESTIGATIONS

Professional Standards

The Savannah Fire & Emergency Services Professional Standards Unit investigates cases of an administrative nature. These cases range from policy violation to claims of alleged violations of Federal Statutes such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Professional Standards Unit conducts an investigations at the direction of the Fire Chief and reports all findings directly to the Fire Chief. In 2015 The Professional Standards Unit opened 15 cases. 265 hours were spent in 2015 inves- tigating these cases. The average time per case was 17.6 hours. All 15 cases were closed by the Fire Chiefs Office in 2015. Professional Standards accounts for 23% of the work load assigned to the Investigations Division. LOGISTICS / FIRE INVESTIGATIONS

Background Investigations

The Savannah Fire & Emergency Services Background Investigations Unit conducts background In- vestigations on all applicants that apply to work for the bureau. These investigations include a criminal history check, a driver’s history check, previous employment verification, and a thorough investigation of the applicant’s background (i.e. social media, personal and professional refer- ences). In 2015 The Background Investigation Unit conducted 228 background investigations. Background investigations accounted for 17% of the workload assigned to the Investigations Division. As a result of these investigations the Background Unit was able to clear 187 applicants for employment eligibility. LOGISTICS / FIRE MARSHAL

Fire Inspections Fire Marshal’s Office represents the fire prevention and code enforcement activities of the City of Savannah. Its six certified full time code enforcement personnel perform: fire prevention inspections in commercial buildings, reviews plans and conducts inspections. In addition, the office also provides oversight in the installation and removal of under- ground flammable storage tanks, public fireworks displays, and the monitoring of over- crowding in the City’s bars and restaurants. LOGISTICS / FIRE MARSHAL

2015 Staff Hours: 1189 Hours

 154 Buildings Inspected x 1.5 hours (per Building Inspection) = 231 Hours  145 Fire Alarm Plans Reviewed x 1 hour (per Plan Review) = 145 Hours  53 Final Fire Suppression Inspections x 1 hour (per Inspection) = 53 Hours  149 Fire Alarm Inspections x 1 hour (per Fire Alarm Inspection) = 149 Hours  156 Partial/ Rough Inspections x 1 hour (per inspection) = 156  159 Sprinkler Plans Reviewed x 1 hour (per Plan Review) = 159 Hours  153 Sprinkler Inspections/1.0 hour (per Inspection) = 153 Hours  211 Site Plans Reviewed/1.0 hour (per Site Plan Review) = 211 Hours  1700 Business Approval Certificates reviewed x 5 minutes (each) 141 Hours EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

City Wide Emergency Management

Savannah’s Emergency Management Program is a division of the Fire & Emergency Services Bureau. The goal of the program is to coordinate disaster mitigation, preparedness, prevention, response and recovery plans and activities for the City.

** 180 City Personnel Trained in Emergency Management and Incident Command System courses** PUBLIC EDUCATION / INFORMATION

Public Information/Public Fire Safety Education

The Savannah Fire Public Information position serves a dual role in the department’s overall fire protection plan: Public/Media Information and Public Fire Safety Education. The two functions are indivisible in the modern fire service. PUBLIC EDUCATION / INFORMATION PUBLIC EDUCATION / INFORMATION We hope that you’ve enjoyed reading our 2015 Annual Report. Our intent is to show some of the behind-the-scene activities that contribute to making Savannah Fire & Emergency Services one of the premier Fire Departments in the Nation.

“….committed to those we serve”